Travancore Devaswom Board passes the buck

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Travancore Devaswom Board president A. Padmakumar has washed his hands of the controversy on the list of 51 young women devotees submitted to the Supreme Court by the state government. The list contained the names of men as well as women aged above 50 who visited Sabarimala. 

Mr Padmakumar said the list was prepared by the state government and that it was its duty to give the correct figures of the young women who entered Sabariamala shrine. 

Mr Padmakumar, who was so far at the receiving end with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan criticising him, said "the TDB does not have the facility to check whether young women devotees enter Sabarimala or not."

The state government submitted the list to the Supreme Court while it was considering a plea filed by Bindu and Kanaka Durga, who had worshipped at Sabarimala, seeking round-the-clock police security.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran also said there was no confusion over the list. "It was not provided either by the TDB or the devaswom department. If there is any discrepancy in the list, it will be examined," he said.